This invention relates to a memory card device used as an auxiliary memory unit of information equipment, a video game apparatus having a function to store game data, etc. into an auxiliary memory unit, and a program providing medium.
A conventional memory card used in the state inserted into information equipment, etc. is caused to be of a configuration comprising an interface for connecting to the body of the information equipment and a non-volatile memory element for storing data.
FIG. 1A shows an example of the configuration of the main part of such a conventional memory card. This conventional memory card 80 comprises a control unit 81 for controlling its operation, a connector 82 for connecting to a terminal provided within a slot in the information equipment, etc., and a non-volatile memory 86 for storing data, wherein the connector 82 and the non-volatile memory 86 are connected to the control unit 81.
The control unit 81 is constituted by using, e.g., a microcomputer. Moreover, as non-volatile memory 86, a flash memory, e.g., an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), etc. is used. Moreover, there are also instances where, for a connection interface to the information equipment, etc., a microcomputer is used as a control unit for interpreting protocol.
FIG. 1B shows a control item in the control unit 81 of the conventional memory card 80.
As stated above, the conventional memory card comprises a body connection interface for connecting to the body of the information equipment, etc. and a memory interface for carrying out input/output of data with respect to the non-volatile memory.
Moreover, conventional video game apparatus as in the home TV game apparatus has a function to store game data, etc. into the auxiliary memory unit. The above-described memory card is used also as an auxiliary memory unit of such video game apparatus.
FIG. 2 shows an example of a conventional video game apparatus using a memory card as an auxiliary memory unit. A body 2 of this conventional video game apparatus (unit) 11 is accommodated within a substantially square casing, and is composed of a disc mounting portion 3 onto which an optical disc, which is a recording medium on which an application program of the video game is recorded, is loaded at the central portion thereof, a reset switch 4 for arbitrarily resetting a game, a power switch 5, a disc operation switch 6 for operating loading of the optical disc, and, e.g., two slot portions 7A, 7B.
Memory card 80 used as the auxiliary memory unit is inserted with respect to these slot portions 7A, 7B, and, e.g., the result, etc. of a game executed on video game unit 11 is sent from the control unit (CPU) 19 and is written into the non-volatile memory 86. In this case, plural operation units (controllers) (not shown) are also connected to the slot portions 7A, 7B so that plural users can carry out waging a war game, etc. at the same time.
As described above, the conventional memory card only comprises a body connection interface for connecting to the body of the information equipment, etc. and a memory interface for carrying out input/output of data with respect to the non-volatile memory. Namely, the conventional memory card only has a function as merely an auxiliary memory unit, and data stored in the non-volatile memory could not be utilized by the memory card alone.
In addition, the conventional video game apparatus can operate an application program only on the game apparatus body, and the game result, etc. can be stored into the memory card device used as the auxiliary memory unit. For this reason, the game result, etc. stored in the memory card could not be effectively reflected for a game executed at times subsequent thereto.
This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a memory card device which can not only simply store data, but also download an application program to independently execute it, or to carry out cooperative operation while carrying out transmission/reception of its execution result between the memory card device and other information equipment.
Moreover, in order to solve problems as described above, another object of this invention is to provide a video game apparatus capable of downloading an application program of a video game into a memory card used as an auxiliary memory unit from the body of the video game unit, or taking therein the result of a game independently executed on its memory card to carry out cooperative operation to constitute a game executed at times subsequent thereto, etc., and a program providing medium for supplying the application program.
Namely, a memory card device according to this invention comprises a memory for storing data and an interface connecting to information equipment, and functions as an auxiliary memory unit of connected information equipment, the device comprising a program storage memory for storing a program, a control unit for controlling execution of the program, a display unit for displaying information in accordance with the program to be executed, an operation input unit for operating the program, and a power supply unit for supplying power utilized for executing the program.
Moreover, a video game apparatus according to this invention has a function of storing game data obtained by executing a game into an auxiliary memory unit, the apparatus comprising a program providing unit for supplying an application program, a communication control unit connected to a main bus to which a central processing unit of the video game apparatus body is connected, and a slot connected to the main bus through the communication control unit and adapted so that the auxiliary memory unit is detachably connected to the video game apparatus, wherein the central processing unit has a control function to download an application program from the program providing unit with respect to the auxiliary memory unit through the communication control unit.
Further, a video game apparatus according to this invention has a function of storing game data obtained by executing a game with respect to an auxiliary memory unit, the apparatus comprising a program providing unit for supplying an application program, a communication control unit connected to a main bus to which a central processing unit of the video game apparatus body is connected, and a common slot connected to the main bus through the communication control unit and adapted so that the auxiliary memory unit and a memory card unit are detachably connected to the video game apparatus, the auxiliary memory unit having a non-volatile memory for storing game data obtained when the video game apparatus body executes a game, the memory card device including a program memory for storing the downloaded application program, and a control unit for executing the downloaded application program independently of the video game.
Further, a memory card device according to this invention has an interface connectable to information equipment, the memory card device comprising a program storage memory for storing a program, a control unit for controlling execution of the program, a display unit for displaying information in accordance with the executed program, an operation input unit for operating the program, and a power supply unit for supplying power utilized for executing the program, wherein the program is downloaded into the program memory through an interface from the connected information equipment, and the program downloaded into the auxiliary memory unit and the program executed in the information equipment body are application programs which are different from each other.
Further, a program providing medium according to this invention provides an application program with respect to a video game apparatus (unit), wherein at least two different application programs are recorded with respect to the providing medium, and one of the at least two different application programs is an application program executed in the video game unit and the other one is an application program executed in a memory card unit connected to the video game unit.
In accordance with this invention, there can be provided a video game apparatus having a function to download an application program of a video game with respect to a memory card device (unit) capable of independently executing a program of downloaded application software or capable of carrying out cooperative operation while carrying out transmission/reception of its execution result between the memory card unit and other information equipment, and a memory card unit used as an auxiliary memory unit, or to take therein the result of a game independently executed on its memory card unit to carry out cooperative operation to constitute games executed at times subsequent thereto, etc.